Volcano erupts in Chile - Photos - The Big Picture - Boston.com Volcano erupts in Chile The eruption of the Puyehue volcano in the Andes mountains of southern Chile last weekend provided some spectacular images of the force of nature. Ash covers the landscape and thousands of people were evacuated from the surrounding rural communities. The volcano, which hasn't been active since 1960 when it erupted after an earthquake, sent its plume of ash 6 miles high across Argentina and toward the Atlantic Ocean. -- Lloyd Young ( 33 photos total ) A plume of ash, estimated six miles (10km) high and three mile wide is seen after a volcano erupted in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain, about 575 miles (920 km) south of the capital, Santiago June 4. (Ivan Alvarado/Reuters) 2 A boy wearing a protective mask, walks along an ash-covered street near San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina, on June 7 three days after the eruption of Chile's Puyehue volcano.

Dozens of South American flights had to be scrapped Tuesday because of the huge cloud of volcanic ash spewing from a Chile an volcano, as fears grew of possible landslides near the eruption. So far 4,000 people have been evacuated from 22 rural Chile an communities surrounding the Puyehue volcano, which rumbled to life on Saturday after showing no activity since 1960, when it erupted following a magnitude 9.5 earthquake.(Francisco Ramos Mejia/AFP/Getty Images) # 4 A helicopter flies over smoke and ash rising from the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain near Osorno city in south-central Chile June 5. A volcano dormant for decades erupted in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain in south-central Chile on Saturday, belching an ash cloud more than 6 miles (10 km) high that blew over the Andes and carpeted a popular ski resort in neighboring Argentina. (Ivan Alvarado/Reuters) # 6 This NASA Earth Observatory natural-color satellite image obtained June 7, 2011 was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiomter on the Aqua satellite shortly after the eruption began on June.

The brown ash plume reaches high above the clouds covering much of the scene, and casts a dark shadow towards the southeast. Along the leading edge of the plume, it appears heavier material is falling out of the ash cloud, while finer particles remain suspended in the atmosphere. (NASA) # 7 A plume of light-coloured ash stretches along the edge of the Andes in this natural-color satellite image acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer aboard Terra on the morning of June 6 as the eruption at the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano chain continues. (NASA) # 8 A cloud of ash billowing from Puyehue volcano near Osorno in southern Chile, 870 km south of Santiago June 5. Puyehue volcano erupted for the first time in half a century on June 4 prompting evacuations for 3,500 people as it sent a cloud of ash that reached Argentina. The National Service of Geology and Mining said the explosion that sparked the eruption also produced a column of gas 10 kilometers (six miles) high, hours after warning of strong seismic activity in the area.

(Claudio Santana/AFP/Getty Images) # Chile's Puyehue Volcano Erupts - The Atlantic The Atlantic 21 Photos In Focus On Saturday, a volcano in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle chain of south-central Chile erupted after lying dormant for more than 50 years. The government evacuated several thousand residents as Puyehue threw ash more than 6 miles (10 km) into the sky, pushing the plume toward neighboring Argentina. Authorities had already put the area around the volcano on alert after a flurry of earthquakes earlier on Saturday -- at one point, the tremors reached an average of 230 per hour. Collected here are a handful of spectacular photographs of the eruption this weekend and its effects in Chile and Argentina. Puyehue-Cordón Caulle Volcano, Chile - facts & information / VolcanoDiscovery: Location No recent earthquakes Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano in Central Chile is a complex of 2 volcanoes: Puyehue volcano and the fissure system of Cordón Caulle. Puyehue volcano has a 2.4 km wide summit caldera, but historical eruptions occurred at the Cordón Caulle rift zone.

The Cordón Caulle geothermal area occupies a 6 x 13 km wide depression and is the largest active geothermal area in the southern Andes. Neighboring Calbuco and Puyehue volcanoes lie on the same traverse fault and is has been noted that they tend at the same time or within only few years distance. Background: The Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic complex (PCCVC) is a large NW-SE-trending late-Pleistocene to Holocene basaltic-to-rhyolitic transverse volcanic chain SE of Lago Ranco. The 1799-m-high Pleistocene Cordillera Nevada caldera lies at the NW end, separated from Puyehue stratovolcano at the SE end by the Cordón Caulle fissure complex. The Pleistocene Mencheca volcano with Holocene flank cones lies NE of Puyehue. The basaltic-to-rhyolitic Puyehue volcano is the most geochemically diverse of the PCCVC.

The flat-topped, 2236-m-high Puyehue volcano was constructed above a 5-km-wide caldera and is capped by a 2.4-km-wide summit caldera of Holocene age. Lava flows and domes of mostly rhyolitic composition are found on the eastern flank of Puyehue. Historical eruptions originally attributed to Puyehue, including major eruptions in 1921-22 and 1960, are now known to be from the Cordón Caulle rift zone. --- Source: USGS / GVP 1960 eruption following the great Chile earthquake Puyehue-Cordón Caulle Volcano started erupting on 24 May 1960. It is possible, that the eruption was triggered by the great earthquake in Chile (magnitude 9.5; the largest measured earthquake in history) on 22 May 1960. The eruption started with a powerful explosive (subplinian) phase, which formed an ash column 8 km high.

2011 eruption of Puyehue-Cordón Caulle A new eruption started at the complex of Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano in Chile on Saturday 4 June 2011 after 51 years of inactivity. Volcano Puyehue CHILE, 4 to 6 June 2011 (HD).mp4 - YouTube Volcano Puyehue CHILE, 4 to 6 June 2011 (HD).mp4 Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Jun 10, 2011 SANTIAGO - The Puyehue volcano in southern Chile erupted on Saturday after half a century of sleep, forcing the evacuation of 3,500 people and generating a giant cloud of ash that reached neighboring Argentina.

The National Service of Geology and Mining (SERNAGEOMIN) of Chile has announced that the Puyehue erupted in the volcanic complex Caulle cord, caused "an explosion that produces a high gas column height of 10 km about ". The government ordered in the afternoon the evacuation of some 3,500 people residing in over twenty towns near the volcano, located 870 km south of Santiago, near the Argentine border. Initially, some 600 people were evacuated in the morning as a precautionary measure after an initial warning SERNAGEOMIN, warning of strong seismic activity in the region, prior to a possible eruption. A dozen earthquakes of medium intensity, magnitude 4 were recorded in a few hours and a hundred small instensité. The National Emergency Office (Onemi) announced that at 3:15 p.m. (7:15 p.m. GMT), "the alert level Volcanic Geology Department has been elevated to 6 (on a scale of 8) corresponding to a moderate eruption.

"We can see the mouth of the volcano, a column of smoke and (...) we perceive a strong smell of sulfur," said the prefect of the region of Los Rios Juan Andres Varas, quoted by media chilena, whose website the Mercurio. In neighboring Argentina, in the city of Bariloche, Landmark mountain located 100 km east of Puyehue, the thick cloud of ash from the eruption forced to close the airport. Bariloche is known in the afternoon "high ash fall, as if it was snow," said the chain of communication TN secretary of the city, Carlos Hidalgo. "The city is completely gray. Bariloche authorities have advised residents to stay indoors and close doors and windows. Chile-Argentina border to Cardenal Samore station was closed. The Chilean Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter said that emergency measures to protect the population could be "short term". "We believe that adequate measures were taken, and we expect that things are going relatively well," he added.

In the area of ​​the volcano by the way, people "feel that the risk is not close" because of wind direction to the east and delay the evacuation of their homes, told the press the Vice- Chilean Interior Minister Rodrigo Ubilla. Puyehue volcano, 2,240 meters above sea level, belongs to the volcanic complex Caulle cord in the Cordillera of the Andes. Its last major eruption dates back to 1960, after the terrible earthquake of magnitude 9.5 Valdivia, who had died 5700 in Chile. The entry into operation of Puyehue is the latest in a series of dense volcanic alert in southern Chile in recent years. In 2008, the eruption of Chaiten, 1,300 km from Santiago, had forced the evacuation of the city of the same name, whose streets were covered with a layer of ash several tens of centimeters. Already the rain of ash had reached Bariloche.

Also in 2008, and in 2009, the Llaima volcano, one of the most active in Chile and 700 km from Santiago, had forced the evacuation of dozens of residents of nearby towns and a few tourists. For More Exclusive Information on UFO A Kazan RUSSIE, les témoins d'OVNI photographié triangulaire (PHOTOS). Chile volcano causes ash cloud and lightning tears the sky apart | Daily Mail Online comments Flames reach up to the heavens as lightning flashes criss-cross the sky. These extraordinary images show the full force of Mother Nature as a Chilean volcano erupts for the first time in 50 years. Ash has been thrown six miles up into the sky and the South American government has ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents. Winds fanned the ash toward neighbouring Argentina, darkening the sky in the ski resort city of San Carlos de Bariloche, in the centre of the country, and its airport has also been closed.

Spectacular: A time-lapse photo shows lightning bolts striking around the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain As a precaution, the government said it was evacuating 3,500 people from the surrounding area Nature's force: Lightning and volcanic fire is seen amid and underneath a towering cloud of ash. It is the first time the volcano has erupted in 50 years Incredible lightening bolts strike around the plume of volcanic ash and smoke An extraordinary cloud formation is created by the ash rising several miles into the atmosphere The eruption in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain, about 575 miles south of the capital, Santiago, also prompted authorities to close a busy border crossing into Argentina. It was not immediately clear which of the chain's four volcanoes had erupted because of ash cover and weather conditions. The chain last saw a major eruption in 1960. Local media said the smell of sulphur hung in the air and there was constant seismic activity. 'The Cordon Caulle (volcanic range) has entered an eruptive process, with an explosion resulting in a 10-kilometre-high gas column,' the state emergency office ONEMI said.

As a precaution, the government said it was evacuating 3,500 people from the surrounding area. This development is the latest volcanic activity to affect the country. Three years ago, Chile's Chaiten volcano erupted spectacularly for the first time in thousands of years, spewing molten rock and a vast cloud of ash that reached the stratosphere and was visible from space. It also drifted over neighbouring Argentina, coating towns. Chile's Llaima volcano, one of South America's most active, also erupted that year and again in 2009. Chile's chain of about 2,000 volcanoes is the world's second largest after Indonesia. Some 50 to 60 are on record as having erupted, and 500 are potentially active.

Global Volcanism Program | Puyehue-Cordon Caulle Cite this Report Explosive phases ended in April 2012 and the rhyolitic dome continued to flow ~1 year later The rift zone eruption that began at Puyehue-Cordón Caulle on 4 June 2011 (BGVN 37:03) persisted through early 2012 and declined toward the end of 2012. Relative quiescence was observed through October 2013, which is the end of this reporting period. The Observatorio Volcanológico de Los Andes del Sur-Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN) maintained Red Alert (the highest level in a four-color scale) from 4 June 2011 to 23 March 2012; declining activity led to a downgrade in the Alert Level on 23 March 2012 to Orange, and then again on 24 April to Yellow. The status remained at Yellow until 16 August 2012, when it decreased to Green.

Green Alert was maintained through the end of this reporting period of October 2013. Early stages of the eruption captured by remote sensing. Based on polar-orbiting satellites, scientists at the Montreal Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) were able to detect the volcanic ash cloud as it circled the southern hemisphere. Using a combination of infrared channels, five satellites contributed to a mosaic of data showing the wide dispersion of volcanic ash over the period of 4-6 June 2011 (figure 8). A mosaic created on 14 June 2011 captured the 4 June 2011 ash as it approached the Chilean coast while, at the same time, a new ash eruption was occurring at Puyehue-Cordón Caulle (figure 9). Figure 8. Composite image of volcanic ash from Puyehue-Cordón Caulle as detected by satellites between 1937 on 4 June and 1551 on 6 June 2011.

The 4-km resolution data was collected during 30 passes (satellites NOAA 15, 16, 18, 19, and MetOp-A) using a combination of infrared channels. The colors correspond to values of brightness temperature differences (i.e. ch4 - ch5) ranging from -0.5° C to -12° C. The image was produced at Montreal VAAC with the Terascan software and the NOAA CLASS data. Courtesy of René Servranckx, Meteorological Service of Canada. Figure 9. (A) Composite image from NOAA satellites NOAA-19 and NOAA-18 capturing two different stages of ash plumes from Puyehue-Cordón Caulle. The large plume over the Pacific Ocean was generated by explosive activity on 4 June 2011 and circled the southern hemisphere within 10 days. At 1938 on 14 June 2011, a new ash plume was erupting, contributing additional ash in the atmosphere. (B) Five satellites contributed to this image of Cordón Caulle's ash plume during 14-16 June 2011.

With 4 km resolution, the image comprises 56 satellite passes using a combination of infrared channels. The color coding corresponds to values in the range of -1.5° C to -10.0° C. Both images were produced at Montreal VAAC with Terascan software and data retrieved from the NOAA CLASS website. Courtesy of René Servranckx, Meteorological Service of Canada. Post-processing of satellite images from GOES-13 highlighted the strong thermal anomalies that occurred during the early stages of the eruption. Daniel Lindsey of NOAA prepared a video sequence of images during 12-14 June 2011 that provided a clear way to identify the ash plume extending across Chile and Argentina (figure 10). From those images, it was possible to infer that a significant amount of ash was released from this eruption based on the persistent cold infrared brightness temperatures. Figure 10.

Images of GOES-13 data show the extent of elevated cold infrared brightness temperatures and the ash plume from Puyehue-Cordón Caulle at four different times: 12 June 2011 at 1139, 12 June at 1309, 13 June 2011 at 0639, and 13 June at 1439; all times given in UTC. The purple color in these infrared layers corresponds to approximately -40 to -50°C. The location of Cordón Caulle is marked with a red triangle. Courtesy of Daniel Lindsey of NOAA/NESDIS/STAR/RAMM Branch. Based on webcamera observations, OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN reported that incandescence was visible during 23 February-30 April 2012 and, at times, the local webcam views captured incandescence reaching up to 600 m above the rim (table 2). Table 2. Seismicity and observations of Cordón Caulle's eruption during 2012 were documented in regular reports from OVDAS- SERNAGEOMIN.

This table highlights data from 23 February to 22 April. Note that incandescence and plume heights correspond to km above the crater. Courtesy of SERNAGEOMIN-OVDAS. Alert Level no up to 0.4 km Based on seismicity and visual observations, declining activity was noted from late April 2012 through October 2013 (table 3). Incandescence and plumes from the crater were rarely documented, partly due to poor weather conditions. Seismicity was reported in terms of individual counts and, after the Alert Level was downgraded to Green, seismicity rarely exceeded 20 events per month. Table 3. Activity at Puyehue-Cordón Caullefrom 24 April 2012 to 31 October 2013. Earthquake types, volcano-tectonic and long-period are abbreviated with VT and LP, respectively. MD refers to magnitudes calculated from signal duration; RD is the abbreviation for reduced duration. Courtesy of SERNAGEOMIN-OVDAS. Alert Level na no Although activity had diminished significantly by April 2012, field researchers determined that the rhyolitic dome material remained mobile.

In an interview with Earthweek released on 15 November 2013, Hugh Tuffen of Lancaster University explained that, "the lava was still oozing after almost a year, and it advances between 1 and 3 meters a day." Fieldwork yielded results later published in 2013 that highlighted the heterogeneity of processes (brittle and ductile) that could have existed in order to allow rhyolitic magma to travel explosively and effusively to the surface. This investigation included video documentation of explosive phases of the eruption in 2012 (figure 11). Figure 11.

This series of images includes: (a) a location map for Puyehue-Cordón Caulle; (b) a NASA ALI image taken on 26 January 2012 including annotated locations of observation points (red star) and the red box corresponds to the area in "c"; (c) the overlapping vent structures and ash plumes were captured in this GeoEye-1 image from 3 July 2012; (d) and this panorama of the active lava flow observed on 10 January 2012 (note that the scale is approximate). Original images are from Schipper and others, 2013. References. Earthweek: A diary of the planet, 15 Nov. 2013, Schipper, C.I., Castro, J.M., Tuffen, H., James, M.R., and How, P., 2013. Shallow vent architecture during hybrid explosive-effusive activity at Cordón Caulle (Chile, 2011-12): Evidence from direct observations and pyroclast textures, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 262: 25-37.

Links for full animation of IR images from GOES-13 data provided by Daniel Lindsey of NOAA/NESDIS/STAR/RAMM Branch: 4-6 June 2011: False eruption report; no activity at any area volcanoes Card 1362 (02 March 1972) Ash columns reported "Clouds of black smoke and columns of ashes began to pour forth 1 March from the Puyehue volcano in Chile which resumed activity after several years. The volcano is located a few kilometers west of San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina." Card 1371 (28 March 1972) Aerial reconnaissance on 3 March sees no signs of activity "On Friday, march 3rd, a message was received at 9:00 a.m. from the Emergency Office of the Ministry of the Interior asking about the possible start of activity of the Puyehue volcano. Despite information indicating total calm in the area, it was thought worthwhile, both by the Volcanological Group and the Emergency Office, to carry out an aerial reconnaissance of the volcano as soon as possible.

The Emergency Office obtained a flight for 15:00 hours from the Chilean Air Force. At 16:10 hours a twin-engined Bonanza, piloted by Captain de la Cuadra, took off with volcanologists Fco. Munizaga and O. Gonzalez on board from the El Bosque airport in Santiago. "After 2 hours 20 min. in the air it flew over, at 18:30 hours, the main crater of Puyehue which was covered with snow and showed no signs of an eruption and the same was true of the NE fracture from the eruption of 1960 [Cordón Caulle]. Both this crater and the center of Carran-Nilahue showed no sign of recent eruption. There was good visibility in the centers indicated. To the E of the Argentine frontier region there was partial cloud which made observations of the bordering Argentine territory impossible. The return journey was begun, with a stop at Temuco and landing at Santiago at 23:00 hours on the same day. "Conclusion: The Puyehue volcano and adjacent areas to the north, south, and west show no signs of eruption up to this date.

Santiago, March 4th, 1972." Information Contacts: Card 1362 (02 March 1972) Chilean news media; Oscar Gonzalez-Ferran, Universidad de Chile. Card 1371 (28 March 1972) Oscar Gonzalez-Ferran, Universidad de Chile. May 1994 (BGVN 19:05) Cite this Report Small to moderate earthquakes; emergency plans established Cordón Caulle began generating a series of small to moderate felt earthquakes and discontinuous subterranean noises during the final week of May. The Univ of Chile and the Univ of the Frontera monitored the activity with two seismometers on 28 and 29 May. They detected harmonic tremor and small earthquakes centered N of Puyehue, generally located on Cordón Caulle. Santiago radio reported that four tremors were felt in the area over a 12-hour period on the night of 29 May. The tremors shook with Mercalli-scale intensity IV and V. The radio report said that the activity had also drawn a team of professionals from the Geosciences Institute of Valdivia Austral Univ to the area.

Meanwhile, the police, army officers, civil authorities, and scientists had formed an emergency action committee and established a "White Alert," which signifies the detection of possibly abnormal volcanic activity and mandates that emergency plans be reviewed and updated. Information Contacts: N. Banks, US Embassy, Santiago. March 2012 (BGVN 37:03) Cite this Report June 2011 eruption emits circum-global ash clouds Until 4 June 2011, the volcanic complex named Puyehue-Cordón Caulle had been quiet since its last major eruption in 1960. This report summarizes an increase in seismicity in early 2011 and the ensuing eruption that began on 4 June 2011. Our previous and only reports on the complex were in March and April 1972, which offered and then dismissed a report of a 1972 eruption (CSLP Cards 1362 and 1371). Information here goes through 2011 but omits some remote sensing observations.

The eruption continued through at least April 2012, but in March and again in April 2012 the eruption’s diminished vigor resulted in successively lowered alert statuses. During the height of the eruption the vent emitted ash plumes and generated significant ashfall, and flights were cancelled as far away as Australia and New Zealand. Pyroclastic flows occurred, with runout distances up to 10 km. The Puyehue-Cordón Caulle complex includes Puyehue volcano at the SE end and the Cordillera Nevada caldera at the NW end. The current eruption discussed here vented at a location roughly between these two features, along the same fissure complex that had been active in the 1960 eruption. Available information failed to disclose any other eruptive sites during the reporting interval. Although the eruption continues as this report goes to press in March 2012, the report discusses activity only during 2011. A subsequent report will discuss further details, including satellite data on eruptive plumes, and updates since the end of the 2011 reporting period.

This report also contains a table that condenses reporting from the Buenos Aires Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC). Precursory seismicity. The Southern Andes Volcanological Observatory-National Geology and Mining Service (SERNAGEOMIN) reported that on 26 April 2011 an overflight of the volcano was conducted in response to recent increased seismicity and observations of fumarolic activity by nearby residents. Scientists confirmed fumarolic activity, but did not observe any other unusual activity. On 27 April a seismic swarm (with about 140 events under ML 3.0) was detected at depths of 4-6 km below the complex. Most were hybrid earthquakes, the largest being M 3.9. Lower levels of seismicity continued through 29 April. That day the Alert Level was raised to Yellow (on a scale from Green to Yellow to Red). According to SERNAGEOMIN, between 2000 on 2 June and 1959 on 3 June 2011, about 1,450 earthquakes occurred at Puyehue-Cordón Caulle (~60 earthquakes/hour, on average).

More than 130 earthquakes occurred with magnitudes greater than 2.0. The earthquakes were mostly hybrid and long-period, and located in the SE sector of the Cordón Caulle rift zone at depths of 2-5 km. A flight over the volcano revelaed no significant changes. Area residents reported feeling earthquakes during the evening of 3 June through the morning of 4 June. For a six-hour period on 4 June, seismicity increased to an average of 230 earthquakes/hour, with hypocenter depths of 1-4 km. About 12 events were of magnitudes greater than 4.0, and 50 events were of magnitudes greater than 3.0. As a result of the increased seismicity, the Alert Level was raised from Yellow to Red on 4 June. Eruption. On 4 June 2011, an explosion from Cordón Caulle produced a set of plumes, including an ash plume described as 5 km wide and with its top at ~12 km altitude.

Portions of the plume bifurcated; at ~5 km altitude a part of the plume drifted S, and at ~10 km altitude parts drifted W and E. A news account (Agency France-Presse) around this time, quoting a government official, said the eruption would lead to the evacuation of 4,270 residents. According to the Oficina Nacional de Emergencia-Ministerio del Interior (ONEMI), SERNAGEOMIN had noted the presence of pyroclastic flow deposits, but not lava. Residents reported a strong sulfur odor and significant ash and pumice fall. According to the BBC, the number of evacuees rose to 3,500-4,000 during the next several days. According to SERNAGEOMIN, the eruption from the Cordón Caulle rift zone, although somewhat diminished, continued on 5 June. At least five pyroclastic flows were generated from partial collapses of the eruptive column and traveled N in the Nilahue River drainage. These pyroclastic flows extended up to 10 km from the vent.

Figures 1-3 show scenes of the volcano from various perspectives, including a natural color January 2012 image from space. Figure 1. Puyehue-Cordón Caulle’s eruption seen in a long-exposure photo taken during 4-6 June 2011. The photo depicts molten material discharging over a wide area near the eruption column’s base. Above the glowing, molten material there grew a substantial, rapidly rising ash plume. Much of the scene is lit by numerous bolts of lightning. Courtesy of Daniel Basualto, European Pressphoto Agency. Figure 2. A long-exposure photograph of the eruption at the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle complex taken on 5 June 2011. The complex scene shows a wide eruption column aglow with prominent lightning strikes branching across its surface. The long exposure is evidenced by the long star trails (with stars forming streaks due to the Earth’s rotation) and the superimposition of many distinct bolts of lightning. Courtesy of Franscisco Negroni, Agencia Uno/European Pressphoto Agency. Figure 3.

Satellite photo acquired on 26 January 2012 of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle area. The natural color image was taken by the Advanced Land Imager aboard the Earth Observing (EO-1) satellite. The emissions, which blow in a narrow band toward the SE, can clearly be observed emanating from the Cordón Caulle fissure complex and not from the Puyehue volcano itself. According to a NASA Earth Observatory report, after 8 months of ceaseless activity, the landscape around the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle complex was covered in ash. The light-colored ash appears most clearly on the rocky, alpine slopes surrounding the active vent and the Puyehue caldera. Within the caldera, the ash appears slightly darker, possibly because it may be resting on wet snow that is melting and ponding during the South American summer. NASA also noted that evergreen forests on the E side of the volcano complex have been damaged by months of nearly continuous ashfall, and are now an unhealthy brown, while forests to the W had only received intermittent coatings of ash and appeared relatively healthy. Courtesy of NASA (Robert Simmon, Mike Carlowicz, and Jesse Allen).

Eruptive plumes were dense, oftentimes continuous, and extended E over Argentina and then the Atlantic Ocean (table 1). Ashfall reached up to about 15 cm thick in Argentina and adjacent parts of Chile (figures 4-6). Numerous flights were cancelled as far away as Australia and New Zealand, and many airports were forced to close temporarily (see section below). Table 1. The Puyehue-Cordón Caulle ash plume altitudes and drift distances and directions documented by aviation authorities between 4 June 2011 and 3 January 2012. A plume on any particular date may be a continuation of a plume on the previous day(s). All maximum plume heights are stated in altitudes (a.s.l.). '-' indicates data not reported. Cloud cover often prevented video camera and satellite observations. Data from the Buenos Aires Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) and SERNAGEOMIN. [Skip text table] Max.

plume Date altitude Plume drift Remarks(2011) (km a.s.l.)4 Jun 10.7-13.7 870 km ESE 5-km-wide ash-and-gas plume.5 Jun 10.7-12.2 1,778 km ESE Plume drifted over Atlantic Ocean toward Australia.6 Jun - 178 km ENE -7 Jun 5.5-9.8 E Continuous emission, plume 65-95 km wide; large ash cloud drifted E over Atlantic Ocean.8 Jun 10 1,200 km NE, SE Plume moved over Atlantic Ocean.9 Jun - 200 km ENE Cloud cover obscured view.10 Jun 6 SE Cloud cover obscured view.11 Jun 6-10 350 km E, Explosion caused plume to rise to 10 km a.s.l.

600 km ENE 12 Jun 10 300 km E, Series of explosions, tremor lasted 2 hr, 20 min; 1,000 km ENE 4 hybrid earthquakes.13 Jun 11 250 km SE Incandescence, tremor.14 Jun 5.5-7.6 - Explosions generated pyroclastic flows.15-21 Jun 4-8 1,400 km ESE Small explosions on 15 June, ashfall heavy, pulses of tremor.22-28 Jun 4-6 1,450 km NNW, Active lava flow. 200-900 km various29 Jun-5 Jul 4-6 200-900 km NW, N, E Active lava flow.6-12 Jul 3-4 75 km NE Explosions on 7-8 Jul caused windows to vibrate in Riñinahue.13-19 Jul 4-7 80-240 km E, Incandescence on 18 July. Active lava flow.

150 km NW20-26 Jul 3-5 100-250 km E, SE, Incandescence on 20 Jul. Active lava flow. 80 km E27 Jul-2 Aug 4-7 100-200 km SE, Incandescence on 26 and 29-30 Jul. Active lava flow.

80-400 km various3-9 Aug 4-5 100-700 km SE, - 1,000 km NE10-16 Aug 4 100-150 km E, SE Mostly white plumes.17-23 Aug 4-6 200-270 km NW, Two explosions, harmonic tremor for 25 minutes; 500 km NW, SE incandescence on 18-19 Aug.24-30 Aug 3 - Four explosions; ashfall in Temuco.31 Aug-6 Sep 3 30-80 km SE, E -7-13 Sep 3-6 10-60 km NE, E, SE - 14-20 Sep 5-6 60 km E, 40-70 km N, NW -21-27 Sep 5-7 30-300 km various -28 Sep-4 Oct 6 30-300 km various -5-11 Oct 6 30-60 km various -

12-18 Oct 5-7 30-200 km various -19-25 Oct 4-10 50-250 km various Explosion and incandescence on 22 Oct; lava flows reported on previous days.26 Oct-1 Nov 7-10 30-350 km various Small incandescent explosions on 28-31 Oct.2-8 Nov 4-7 30-120 km various -9-15 Nov 6-9 90-250 km NE, Small explosions and incandescence; 200 km NW, 400 km SE ashfall on Chile/Argentine border.16-22 Nov 5-6 250 km SE, 100 km SW Incandescence on 20 Nov.23-29 Nov 5-6 - Ash plume reached Atlantic Ocean.30 Nov-6 Dec 4-5 90-100 km various Incandescence.7-13 Dec 5-6 90 km SE, 250 km E

NE Ashfall to E.14-20 Dec 5 30-270 km SE, S, NE -21-27 Dec 3-7 20-250 km various Small incandescent explosions.28 Dec-3 Jan 2012 3-7 20-260 km various Small incandescent explosions; ash fell up to 580 km SE, in Argentina.

Figure 4. Photograph published on 6 June 2011 of workers using earth-moving equipment to remove the ash that fell 100 km SE of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina. As discussed in a subsection below, the ash led to the cancellation of numerous public activities, and flights were suspended. Courtesy of Alfredo Leiva, Associated Press. Figure 5. Photograph of an Air Austral jet stranded at the airport at San Carlos de Beriloche, Argentina, on 7 June 2011 after being covered with ash that blew over the Andes from the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle complex. Courtesy of Alfredo Leiva, Associated Press. Figure 6. A member of the media walks along a road covered with ash from the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle complex that crossed Cardenal Samoré pass, a major linkage along the border between Argentina and Chile. Courtesy of Ivan Alvarado, Reuters. According to news accounts (BBC, MailOnline, Merco Press), the Nilahue river, which runs off the N slopes of the volcano, became clogged with ash and overflowed its banks.

The press reports said that the river water was steaming, having been locally heated up to 45°C by hot volcanic material, and more than four million salmon and other fish died. During 4-5 June, ashfall several centimeters thick was reported in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina (about 100 km SE of the volcano) and in surrounding areas (figures 4-6). ONEMI reported that the Cardenal Samoré mountain pass border crossing between Argentina and Chile had temporarily closed on 4 June due to poor visibility caused by the heavy ashfall. According to a press report (EMOL), the road crossing the border was covered with ash that locally reached 10-15 cm thick. According to MailOnline and Boston.com, ash covered Lake Nahuel Huapi, Argentina’s largest lake, which lies in the eastern foothills of the Andes. Videos documenting the eruption are abundant on the YouTube website (a search there using "Puyehue volcano" brings up over 400 hits. See several examples in the Reference list below).

By 9 June 2011, pumice and vitreous tephra had accumulated in many area lakes and rivers, darkening the color or their waters (figure 7). Figure 7. Photo of ash-clogged Nilahue River (Chile) with steam hanging above the river. Courtesy of Reuters. A government observation flight on 11 June revealed that the vent was located at the head of the Nilahue River’s basin, a spot immediately N of the 1960 eruption fissure. Observers found that abundant amounts of ash had accumulated around the vent, as well as to the E and SW. Scientists aboard an observation flight on 13 June reported that the eruption formed a cone located in the center of a crater ~300 to ~400 m in diameter. Gas-and-steam plumes rose from two or three locations along the same fissure as the eruptive vent. Scientists watching a strong ash emission saw the lower part of the ash column collapse. Dark gray ash plumes that rose to an altitude of ~11 km. Instrumental records around that time registered pulses of tremor. At other points on 13 June, plume heights oscillated.

On 20 June, a news article (Agency France-Presse) reported that authorities had ended the evacuation, enabling residents to return home. SERNAGEOMIN personnel along with regional authorities flew over the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle complex on 20 June. They observed a viscous lava flow, confirming speculation of magma ascent based on seismic data from the previous few days. A 50-m-wide lava flow had traveled 200 m NW and 100 m NE from the point of emission, filling a depression. A white plume with a gray base rose 3-4 km above the crater. Devastated vegetation from pyroclastic flows was observed near the Nilahue and Abutment rivers. Pulses of tremor were detected by the seismic network. Plumes continued through at least the end of 2011. Although there were no new aerial observations, the seismic signals indicated that the lava flow remained active.

Ashfall was periodically reported in areas downwind, including on 22 June in Riñinahue (5-10 mm of ash), Llifen, Futrono, and Curarrehue, and on 25 June in Riñinahue, Pucón, and Melipeuco (in the region of Araucanía). Decline in seismicity. By the end of June, seismic activity had decreased further. During July through at least 31 December 2011, the eruption continued at a low level. Numerous plumes (mostly white, but sometimes containing ash) were noted during this period, often rising as high as 2.5 km above the crater (4.7 km altitude) and occasionally higher. Cloudy weather often prevented satellite and camera observations. Some of the ash plumes dropped ash in nearby communities, and some ash plumes extended for hundreds of kilometers, continuing to disrupt air traffic. Occasional incandescence and lava flows were noted. During 18-19 August 2011, a period of harmonic tremor lasted about 25 minutes and may have indicated lava emission. Incandescence was observed at night.

An observation flight on 19 August showed that solidified lava had filled up a depression around the cliffs of the Cordón Caulle area; no active lava flows were noted. On 30 October 2011 seismicity indicated a possible minor lava effusion. Ashfall was reported in Río Bueno (80 km WNW). During the night of 11-12 November 2011, crater incandescence and small explosions were observed. Satellite imagery showed ash plumes drifting 90 km NE on 11 November and 400 km SE on 12 November. Ash fell in areas on the border of Chile and Argentina, and at Paso Samore on 12 November. As of 31 December 2011, the Alert Level remained at Red. Disruption of airline traffic. Based upon a review of news accounts on the Internet, the massive ash plumes resulting from the eruption caused major delays and cancellations of air traffic worldwide. Between 4-14 June, numerous flights were cancelled or disrupted in Paraguay, Chile, southern Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil.

News accounts (Reuters, CBS News, Global Media Post) reported that the two major airports serving Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the international airport in Montevideo, Uruguay, closed for several days as did many airports in southern Argentina, including those in Patagonia. One of the worst hit airports serves the ski resort city of San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina. On 9 June alone, workers removed about 15,000 tons of volcanic ash (600 truckloads) from the airport’s main runway. According to news accounts (Sydney Morning Herald, Agency France-Presse, Stuff, Australian Associated Press), by the middle of June, the ash plume that had been drifting mostly E since the beginning of the eruption had reached Australia and New Zealand. This caused flight disruptions and airport closures in Australia. By the third week in June, according to the Associated Press, plumes from the eruption had circumnavigated the globe, arrived in the W part of Chile (in Coyhaique, 550 km S of the volcano), and again caused the cancellation of domestic flights. During the last week of June, numerous flights in and around Argentina and Chile were again cancelled, as well as some flights in Uruguay.

According to Stuff, Associated Press, and South Africa To, ash from the second circumnavigation of the ash plume again disrupted flights at Capetown and Port Elizabeth, South Africa, as well as in Australia. During the first two weeks of July, numerous flights in and around Argentina and Uruguay were cancelled and some airports remained closed. According to Merco, the first private plane landed around 17 July at the airport in Bariloche, Argentina, since the airport had closed on 4 June. On 17 September, the first commercial flights resumed at Bariloche. Ash clouds remained a problem for months after the eruption. According to news articles, several domestic and international flights in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay were cancelled on 16 October due to re-suspended ash kicked up by high winds in the region. Flights resumed the next day. According to the Agency France-Presse, airborne ash again disrupted or cancelled flights in Uruguay and Argentina on 22 and 26 November. References (sample of videos available on Youtube): 1. !!Rock, ash fill overflowing river in Chile (Cordon Caulle)!!; MSNBC.com, uploaded by ThisisMotherNature on 10 June 2011.

URL: [Lahar scenes; MSNBC newscast in English] 2. Chile Volcano Erupts (Breathtaking Raw Video) 4th June 2011; (original author uncertain), uploaded by horrificStorms on 14 June 2011. URL: [Umbrella cloud forms above rising ash plume, seen from the ground; a yet-unidentified newscast] 3. Dormant Puyehue volcano in Chile erupts after lying dormant for decades; SkyNews, 2011, uploaded by TruthTube451 on 5 June 2011. URL: Source: SkyNews (URL: [Newscast showing rising plumes, ashfall, and scenes of mitigation efforts] 4. Buzo intentando nadar en el lago Nahuel Huapi, el cuál se encuentra cubierto por una gruesa capa de cenizas volcánicas emitidas por volcán Puyehue. Uploaded by SonyOficial on 14 June 2011.

URL: [An amusing attempt to enter Nahuel Huapi Lake to scuba dive beneath a thick mat of floating tephra. This video exceeded 1 million views on 16 November 2011.] Information Contacts: Southern Andes Volcanological Observatory-National Geology and Mining Service (SERNAGEOMIN), Avda Sta María No.

0104, Santiago, Chile (URL: Buenos Aires Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC), Servicio Meteorológico Nacional-Fuerza Aérea Argentina, 25 de mayo 658, Buenos Aires, Argentina (URL: Robert Simmon, Mike Carlowicz, and Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory (URL: Agency France-Presse (URL: Associated Press (URL: Australian Associated Press (AAP)(URL: BBC News (URL: Big Pond News (URL: Boston.com (URL: CBS News (URL: EMOL (URL: europaPress (URL: European Pressphoto Agency (URL: Flight Global (URL: Global Media Post (URL: La Mañana Neuquén (URL: Mail Online (URL: MercoPress (URL: Reuters (URL: Sky News (URL: news.sky.com); Stuff (URL: South Africa To (URL: Sydney Morning Herald (URL: The Telegraph (URL: September 2013 (BGVN 38:09) Cite this Report Explosive phases ended in April 2012 and the rhyolitic dome continued to flow ~1 year later The rift zone eruption that began at Puyehue-Cordón Caul

le on 4 June 2011 (BGVN 37:03) persisted through early 2012 and declined toward the end of 2012.

Relative quiescence was observed through October 2013, which is the end of this reporting period. The Observatorio Volcanológico de Los Andes del Sur-Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN) maintained Red Alert (the highest level in a four-color scale) from 4 June 2011 to 23 March 2012; declining activity led to a downgrade in the Alert Level on 23 March 2012 to Orange, and then again on 24 April to Yellow. The status remained at Yellow until 16 August 2012, when it decreased to Green. Green Alert was maintained through the end of this reporting period of October 2013. Early stages of the eruption captured by remote sensing. Based on polar-orbiting satellites, scientists at the Montreal Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) were able to detect the volcanic ash cloud as it circled the southern hemisphere. Using a combination of infrared channels, five satellites contributed to a mosaic of data showing the wide dispersion of volcanic ash over the period of 4-6 June 2011 (figure 8).

A mosaic created on 14 June 2011 captured the 4 June 2011 ash as it approached the Chilean coast while, at the same time, a new ash eruption was occurring at Puyehue-Cordón Caulle (figure 9). Figure 8. Composite image of volcanic ash from Puyehue-Cordón Caulle as detected by satellites between 1937 on 4 June and 1551 on 6 June 2011. The 4-km resolution data was collected during 30 passes (satellites NOAA 15, 16, 18, 19, and MetOp-A) using a combination of infrared channels. The colors correspond to values of brightness temperature differences (i.e. ch4 - ch5) ranging from -0.5° C to -12° C. The image was produced at Montreal VAAC with the Terascan software and the NOAA CLASS data. Courtesy of René Servranckx, Meteorological Service of Canada. Figure 9.

(A) Composite image from NOAA satellites NOAA-19 and NOAA-18 capturing two different stages of ash plumes from Puyehue-Cordón Caulle. The large plume over the Pacific Ocean was generated by explosive activity on 4 June 2011 and circled the southern hemisphere within 10 days. At 1938 on 14 June 2011, a new ash plume was erupting, contributing additional ash in the atmosphere. (B) Five satellites contributed to this image of Cordón Caulle's ash plume during 14-16 June 2011. With 4 km resolution, the image comprises 56 satellite passes using a combination of infrared channels. The color coding corresponds to values in the range of -1.5° C to -10.0° C. Both images were produced at Montreal VAAC with Terascan software and data retrieved from the NOAA CLASS website. Courtesy of René Servranckx, Meteorological Service of Canada. Post-processing of satellite images from GOES-13 highlighted the strong thermal anomalies that occurred during the early stages of the eruption.

Daniel Lindsey of NOAA prepared a video sequence of images during 12-14 June 2011 that provided a clear way to identify the ash plume extending across Chile and Argentina (figure 10). From those images, it was possible to infer that a significant amount of ash was released from this eruption based on the persistent cold infrared brightness temperatures. Figure 10. Images of GOES-13 data show the extent of elevated cold infrared brightness temperatures and the ash plume from Puyehue-Cordón Caulle at four different times: 12 June 2011 at 1139, 12 June at 1309, 13 June 2011 at 0639, and 13 June at 1439; all times given in UTC. The purple color in these infrared layers corresponds to approximately -40 to -50°C. The location of Cordón Caulle is marked with a red triangle. Courtesy of Daniel Lindsey of NOAA/NESDIS/STAR/RAMM Branch.

Based on webcamera observations, OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN reported that incandescence was visible during 23 February-30 April 2012 and, at times, the local webcam views captured incandescence reaching up to 600 m above the rim (table 2). Table 2. Seismicity and observations of Cordón Caulle's eruption during 2012 were documented in regular reports from OVDAS- SERNAGEOMIN. This table highlights data from 23 February to 22 April. Note that incandescence and plume heights correspond to km above the crater. Courtesy of SERNAGEOMIN-OVDAS. Alert Level no up to 0.4 km Based on seismicity and visual observations, declining activity was noted from late April 2012 through October 2013 (table 3). Incandescence and plumes from the crater were rarely documented, partly due to poor weather conditions. Seismicity was reported in terms of individual counts and, after the Alert Level was downgraded to Green, seismicity rarely exceeded 20 events per month. Table 3.

Activity at Puyehue-Cordón Caullefrom 24 April 2012 to 31 October 2013. Earthquake types, volcano-tectonic and long-period are abbreviated with VT and LP, respectively. MD refers to magnitudes calculated from signal duration; RD is the abbreviation for reduced duration. Courtesy of SERNAGEOMIN-OVDAS. Alert Level na no Although activity had diminished significantly by April 2012, field researchers determined that the rhyolitic dome material remained mobile. In an interview with Earthweek released on 15 November 2013, Hugh Tuffen of Lancaster University explained that, "the lava was still oozing after almost a year, and it advances between 1 and 3 meters a day." Fieldwork yielded results later published in 2013 that highlighted the heterogeneity of processes (brittle and ductile) that could have existed in order to allow rhyolitic magma to travel explosively and effusively to the surface. This investigation included video documentation of explosive phases of the eruption in 2012 (figure 11). Figure 11.

This series of images includes: (a) a location map for Puyehue-Cordón Caulle; (b) a NASA ALI image taken on 26 January 2012 including annotated locations of observation points (red star) and the red box corresponds to the area in "c"; (c) the overlapping vent structures and ash plumes were captured in this GeoEye-1 image from 3 July 2012; (d) and this panorama of the active lava flow observed on 10 January 2012 (note that the scale is approximate). Original images are from Schipper and others, 2013. References. Earthweek: A diary of the planet, 15 Nov. 2013, Schipper, C.I., Castro, J.M., Tuffen, H., James, M.R., and How, P., 2013. Shallow vent architecture during hybrid explosive-effusive activity at Cordón Caulle (Chile, 2011-12): Evidence from direct observations and pyroclast textures, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 262: 25-37.

Links for full animation of IR images from GOES-13 data provided by Daniel Lindsey of NOAA/NESDIS/STAR/RAMM Branch: 4-6 June 2011: 12-14 June 2011: Information Contacts: Observatorio Volcanológico de Los Andes del Sur-Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN), Avda Sta María No. 0104, Santiago, Chile (URL: Daniel Lindsey, NOAA/NESDIS/STAR/RAMM Branch (URL: René Servranckx, Meteorological Service of Canada (URL: and Montreal Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) ( Basic Data Chile volcano keeps spewing ash, grounding flights across South America | La Plaza | Los Angeles Times Chile volcano keeps spewing ash, grounding flights across South America June 14, 2011 | 12:38 pm The Puyehue volcano on the border between Chile and Argentina continued to spew ash over the Andes and Patagonia regions of South America on Tuesday. The eruption is now entering its 11th day and shows no sign of stopping.

Flights were grounded from Argentina to Australia and New Zealand as ash clouds that could harm jet engines blanketed the region and moved west across the South Pacific. Flights were also being canceled in Santiago, Chile's capital (link in Spanish), as well as in Brazil and Uruguay. The Associated Press said "booming explosives echoed across the Andes" on Monday as ash and lightning rose from the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic complex, which is in southern Chile just west of the border with Argentina. Activity at the volcano began on June 4. Thousands of nearby residents have been evacuated. Concerns rose this week that the eruption could harm the region's tourism industry as the high winter ski season approaches, reports said. Here's a fresh video report (in Spanish) on the eruption from the Argentine news source Clarin . See more photos of the ongoing eruption at our sister blog Framework . Chile volcano can be seen from SPACE as it spits fire into the sky | Daily Mail Online comments This towering plume of brown ash is clearly visible from space as a Chilean volcano continues to violently erupt.

Captured by specialist equipment on the Aqua satellite, the image was taken shortly after the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle exploded into life after decades of lying dormant in south-central Chile. A three-mile long fissure has opened up in the Andes as toxic gases and ash belched a cloud more than six miles high across Chile and Argentina. Powerful: A vast plume of ash is clearly visible from space after the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano in Chile erupted on Saturday Seismic activity: The volcano chain, which has been dormant for decades, sent a six-mile-high cloud of toxic gas and ash Impact: The plume of smoke is visible on this image of Earth taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Authorities in the country have been going house to house, trying to persuade stragglers near the volcano to leave because of an increasing danger of toxic gas and flash floods in Saturday's eruption. Around 4,000 people have already been evacuated from 22 communities. They began fleeing as earthquakes hit the South American country on Saturday. RELATED ARTICLES Share But some have refused to leave, staying to protect their homes and livestock.

Chile's verdant lakes region is a centre for dairy farming, with more than 9,000 cows and sheep. Grounded: An aircraft belonging to Austral with ash on it from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano chain remains stranded on the tarmac of the sky resort San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina's Patagonia Covering: This road near the volcano site was left completely coated in pumice rocks from the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle chain volcano Winter come early: In scenes more reminiscent of a snow storm, residents walk through an ash covered street in the resort San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina A rose is covered with volcanic ash in the Patagonian city of San Martin de los Andes, Argentina, while locals gather on a road covered with pumice rocks from the volcano near the border between Argentina and Chile Two people tread over volcanic stones from Chile's Puyehue volcano as they walk in Cardinal Samore Pass, near Osorno in southern Chile Deputy Interior Minister Rodrigo Ubilla said around 50 families in the Rininahue area had refused to abandon their homes.

Vicente Nunez, director of Chile's emergency preparedness office, said: 'Everything is prepared with shelter and transportation for them to immediately leave the danger zone.' North of the complex of volcanoes, the city of Futrono and communities of Lago Ranco and Entre Rios are particularly vulnerable to flash flooding. People have also refused to leave Mantilhue, along the Rio Bueno, just six miles from the volcano eruption. Choked: A field is covered in fine ash as the plume of dust blocks out sky It could almost be snowing: People shelter from falling ash in San Martin de los Andes, Argentina Shut down: A path at the ski resort of San Carlos de Bariloche is covered in ash Precautions: A man wears a mask to protect himself from the ash in San Martin de los Andes Police officers inspect a road covered in debris from the volcano A group of Mapuche Indians have said they will also seek authorisation to enter the evacuation area to pray for the volcano to stop erupting. Enrique Valdivieso, director of Chile's National Geology and Mines Service, said the fissure was belching toxic gases and material that could clog rivers and force them to overflow.

Spectacular displays of lighting have lit up the volcanic clouds over the weekend and experts are still unsure how long it will be before the volcano falls silent. The plume of ash has caused the airport at Argentinian ski resort San Carlos de Bariloche to be closed. The eruption, 575 miles south of the capital Santiago, has also seen a busy border crossing between the two countries shut. There are four volcanoes in the chain, but it was unclear which one has erupted because of the ash cover and weather conditions. The chain last saw a major eruption in 1960. Spectacular: Lighting strikes above the Puyehue volcano, around 500 miles south of the capital Santiago Danger: Thousands of people have been evacuated from the area over fears of flash flooding and toxic gases Eerie: The massive plume of ash glows red during sunset near Entrelagos, Chile.

It has seen the airport in Argentinian ski resort Bariloche closed, as well as a border crossing Apocalyptic: Rivers around the volcano site are becoming clogged with ash and debris, which could lead to flash flooding in at risk communities Raining ash: The plume above the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano chain threw ash up to six miles into the sky Scale: The plume of ash has reached as far as the Atlantic thanks to winds blowing it towards Buenos Aires Volcano Puyehue eruption - YouTube Volcano Puyehue eruption Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Uploaded on Jun 5, 2011 June 4 2011 big eruption of the Volcano Puyehue in South America.(Chile Argentina) Category Chile volcano eruption - in pictures | World news | The Guardian Chile volcano eruption - in pictures Chile volcano eruption - in pictures Close This article is 5 years old Ash from the Puyehue volcano in Chile covers a ski resort in Argentina and spectacular electrical storms light up the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle range after the long-dormant volcano erupted at the weekend, belching an ash cloud more than six miles high over the Andes Sunday 5 June 2011 18.52 EDT First published on Sunday 5 June 2011 18.52 EDT A lightning storm over the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle range a day after the volcano, which had lain dormant for half a century, erupted Photograph: Francisco Negroni, AgenciaUno/AP A policeman walks along a road on the Cardenal Samore border pass between Argentina and Chile, now covered with pumice from the volcano Photograph: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters The ninth hole at the Llao Llao hotel golf course

 in Bariloche, Argentina, covered in ash from Chile's Puyehue volcano Photograph: Francisco Ramos Mejia/AFP/Getty Images The ash plume at sunset above the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle chain, seen near Entre Lagos Photograph: Carlos Gutierrez /Reuters A cowherd goes about his business near the village of Rininahue against the dramatic backdrop of the volcano's ash cloud Photograph: Claudio Santana/AFP/Getty Images Argentinian workers use bulldozers to remove ash from the streets of San Carlos de Bariloche, more than 60 miles away from the volcano Photograph: Alfredo Leiva/AP A vast plume of ash rises above the clouds after the volcano erupted, hours after strong seismic activity in the area Photograph: Ian Salas/EPA Birds fly near the plume of ash rising from the volcano Photograph: Ian Salas/EPA Locals turn their back on the erupting volcano in Chile as the wind begins to break up the ash plume.

The eruption prompted the evacuation of thousands of people as it sent a cloud of ash as far as Argentina Photograph: Ian Salas/EPA Ash from the eruption is dispersed by the wind Photograph: Claudio Santana/AFP/Getty Images Sunlight is reflected off the volcano's ash cloud Photograph: Claudio Santana/AFP/Getty Images Smoke billows into the sky during an electrical storm after the eruption of the Puyehue volcano in the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle chain in Chile, about 500 miles south of the capital, Santiago Photograph: Daniel Basualto/EPA Lightning bolts emanate from the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano's ash cloud.

The area around the volcano had been on alert after a flurry of earthquakes Photograph: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters An electrical storm accompanies the volcanic eruption Photograph: Ian Salas/EPA Ash from the Chilean volcano chain Puyehue-Cordon Caulle has devastated parts of Argentina Published: 17 Jun 2011 Passengers in South America, Australia and New Zealand face ongoing disruption after Cordon Caulle eruption Published: 13 Jun 2011 Flights in Australia have been disrupted for days as smoke continues to billow from the Chilean volcano chain Puyehue-Cordón Caulle Published: 15 Jun 2011 At least six international carriers suspend flights between Buenos Aires and cities in US, Europe and South America Published: 7 Jun 2011

Question: The Puyehue volcano erupted in which South American country in June 2011?
Answer: Chile